Why an NBA Scout Believes the Peyton Watson Trade Will Come Back to Haunt the Nuggets

The Nuggets’ offseason was all about who they lost.

Coming off a 54-28 season that abruptly ended in a first-round exit, Denver found itself in salary cap hell. The Nuggets, currently the only team operating in the second apron, aimed to cut payroll this offseason. And to get cheaper, they had to get worse.

In order to save some cash, Denver sent Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers in exchange for two draft picks. Since he was selected in the first round in 2022, Watson developed into a stellar defender who made significant strides offensively last year.

“I think they’ll miss Peyton Watson some,” an anonymous NBA scout told Sports Illustrated. “I think that was part of the reason why it was harder for them when they got to the playoffs because you can't count on Aaron Gordon physically. I don’t know if you ever will be able to. It's hard for that guy to maintain a level of health that you need him to so he can compete when the games are the highest pressure, most competitive, and you have to be physically ready for it.”

If the Watson trade ages poorly, it will be far from the first mistake the Nuggets’ front office has made in the Nikola Jokić era. Denver handed out big deals to Gordon (four years, $133 million), Jamal Murray (four years, $207 million) and Christian Braun (five years, $125 million), while making other head-scratching decisions like giving end-of-bench forward Zeke Nnaji a four-year, $32 million contract. All those moves have made it practically impossible to make any significant improvements to the roster around Jokić.

Another such move: Trading Michael Porter Jr. to the Nets for Cam Johnson in 2025. One year in, it’s not looking like a winner. Johnson was an effective three-point shooter (43% from deep) but logged just 12.2 points per game. In their first season with Johnson, the Nuggets were bounced in the first round for the first time since 2022 and just the second time in the Jokić era.

“The Michael Porter Jr.-Cam Johnson swap didn’t really work out,” an NBA scout told SI. “Johnson is equally a bad defender, but smaller, so it makes him a worse defender. Porter Jr., I would say, is a better offensive player and very good shooter. He's probably tough to be around, but it did not make them better defensively. It did not make them better offensively. It didn't help their rebounding. So yeah, it was a net loss.”

One notable addition the Nuggets made, though, was DeMar DeRozan. The 37-year-old still gets buckets—even if his 18.4 points per game last season with the Kings was mostly empty calories on a 22-win team. DeRozan will slide into more of a complementary scoring role in Denver.

For the veteran DeRozan, signing with a contender seemed like the right call. But for the Nuggets? At least one NBA scout was not a fan of the move.

“DeMar DeRozan does nothing for me,” an NBA scout told SI. “Nice name, good guy, but what does he have left? To me, it makes them a worse offensive team and equally as bad of a defensive team, I guess. Or I don't know, maybe they can sustain the level of offense. I don't know how many inefficient shooters at 37 years old who are also bad defenders that help teams.”

Offseason recap

Who’s in: Marvin Bagley III, DeMar DeRozan, Alpha Diallo, Lonnie Walker, Cam Whitmore
Who’s out: Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valančiūnas, Peyton Watson

Along with DeRozan, the Nuggets also brought in Bagley, the No. 2 pick of the 2018 draft (infamously selected ahead of Luka Dončić) who has carved out a decent career as a role player. Bagley will give the Nuggets some insurance at center in case Gordon struggles with injuries again.

Diallo, who starred in college at Providence, has yet to suit up for an NBA game. He has been playing in Europe since 2020 and developed a reputation as a relentless defender.

SI’s prediction for the 2026-27 season

Record: 48–34 | Predicting the 2026–27 NBA Standings: Which Teams Will Rise, Fall and Surprise?

All the criticism the Nuggets have received this offseason doesn’t mean they’re a bad team. They’re a good team, actually, and will still compete in a stacked Western Conference. We picked them to finish fifth in the West and match up against the No. 4 seed Lakers in the first round of the postseason. Even if the roster looks worse on paper than last year’s team, Jokić remains the best player on the planet.

The Nuggets will always have a chance at a championship as long as they keep that guy away from his horses and on the basketball court.

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